Wall type electric heater assembly



E. W. ABEL WALL TYPE ELECTRIC HEATER ASSEMBLY Feb. 27, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 22, 1960 INVENTOR. EDMUND W. ABEL ArromvevsFeb. 27, 1962 E. w. ABEL WALL TYPE ELECTRIC HEATER ASSEMBLY 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1960 JNVENTOR EDMUND W` ABEL BY ,wwwMmm/.md www ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,023,297 WALL TYPEELECTRIC HEATER-ASSEMBLY Edmund W. Abel, Indianapolis, Ind., assigner,by mesne assignments, to The Lau Blower Company, Dayton, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 22, 1960, Ser. No..51,150 6 Claims. (Cl.219-34) This invention relates generally to radiant electric heaterassemblies and in particular to a heater assembly adapted for mountingin a wall of a dwelling or similar enclosure.

Heaters of the type presently referred to are conventionally mounted inbathrooms o-f homes but can of course be mounted at other locationswherever concentrated radiant heat is desirable. Such wall mountedassemblies are usually constructed so that, when installed, only theframe protrudes from the wall. In the operation of the heater thetemperature of the frame itself is raised, and on constructionsheretofore used the temperature rise of the frame upon prolongedenergization of the heaters has been substantial. Aside from the safetyfactor involved, excessive heating of the frame sets up convectioncurrents which sweep the wall directly above Athe heater assemblycausing streaking and discoloration of the wall.

Prior art structures have also been characterized by relativelyinconvenient arrangements for access to and removal of certaincomponents of the assembly such as the reflector and heatersub-assembly. Further, when the heating capa-city requirements are suchas to require a heater assembly having a width greater than the standarddistance between studs, mounting of these larger assemblies has requiredcutting of the studs and framing of the opening accommodating the heaterassembly.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a heaterassembly of the type referred to in which the wall-embedded boxaccommodating the reflector and heater sub-assembly extends beyond andin closely underlying relation to the inner margin of the frame so as toeliminate the trapping of heated air within the frame and thereby tominimize the temperature rise of the frame.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heaterassembly in which the reflector and heating unit sub-assembly is hingedto the wall-embedded box component and is locked in place when theoverlying frame is installed whereby the reflector and heatersub-assembly can be conveniently removed upon removal of the frame fromthe assembly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heaterassembly utilizing a low-cost but dependable means for mounting theheater elements or cores within the assembly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heatersub-assembly whose heating capacity can be increased by adding duplicateassemblies thereto, the arrangement for interconnecting the assembliesbeing suchl as to eliminate the cutting of wall studding when themultiple-type assembly is installed.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and the claims.

FIG. l is a front view of the assembly.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the structure but with the frame componentremoved.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view taken generally along the line 3--3 ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the assembly with a portion of the frame brokenaway.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a multiple unit modification of the assembly.

3,023,297 Patented Feb. 27, 1962 FIG. 6 is a sectional detailed View ofthe mounting arrangement of the heater elements.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the structureshown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary and partially exploded view in perspectiveshowing the connection between two units in the multiple unit of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a front view of a multiple unit assembly with fragments of theframe component removed.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, the complete assembly includes a framestructure 10 having side surfaces 11 -and inclined front surfaces 12which merge along the line 13 with inwardly inclined, inner marginalsurfaces 14. Along the lower margin of the frame, the surfaces 12 and 14are separated by a vertical surface 16 which is apertured to accommodatethe push buttons 17 and the operating stem of a thermostat 18. Thethermostat stem has rigidly secured thereto an adjusting knob 19. 1Along the upper margin of the frame an elongated slot 21 separates thesurfaces 12 and 14, a rearwardly extend- Ving flange 22 bordering theupper margin of the slot 21.

The inner margins of the frame vare defined by inwardly wardly offsetgrille 23.

The assembly further includes a wall insert box 24 having side walls 26,an inclined top wall 27, a base wall 28 and a rear wall 29. The box maybe suitably formed from sheet metal or any other suitable material bywelding or other fastening means. The side walls 26 are formed toprovide outwardly extending flanges 31. The base wall 28 is formed toprovide a downwardly extending flange or lip 32 which is provided withmounting apertures 33. Outwardly extending tabs 34 are integral with theflange 32 and are provided with apertures adapted to receive sheet metalscrews (FIG. 3) which extend through registering openings in thelowermost one of the surfaces 11 of the frame.

The flange 32 supports a bracket 37 which mounts the thermostat 18responsive to the temperature within the box 24. A U-shaped bracket 38extends from the rear wall 29 and supports a push button switch 39, thepush button 17 for the switch extending through appropriate apertures inthe vertical surface 16. Also extending from the rear wall 29 in spaced,horizontally aligned relation are reflector support `brackets 41.

Depending fro-m the inner face of the inclined top wall 27 of the boxare spaced brackets 42. The upper ends 42a of the brackets extendgenerally vertically upwardly and are provided with mounting apertures42b (FIG. 3). It should be noted that the upwardly extending portion 42aof each bracket lies in substantially the same vertical plane as themounting flanges 31 and 32. The intermediate portions of the brackets 42extend through slots in the wall 27 and are formed to provide portions42e which are contiguous with the inner surface of the wall 27 and whichare rigidly fastened to the wall by any suitable means such as welding.The lower ends 42d of the brackets extend generally perpendicularly fromthe inner face of the wall 27 and at their free ends are provided withoutwardly extending tabs 42e. Centrally upon the outer face of the wall27 there is rigidly secured a bracket 43 whose free end portion 44 isspaced slightly from the adjacent surface of the wall 27.

Nested within the box 24 and having the same general configuration is areector 46 formed of any suitable material such as aluminum. Thereflector includes side walls 47, inclined top wall 48, rear wall 49 anda base wall S1. The base Wall is provided with a downwardly extendingflange or lip 52. The top wall 48 is slotted to receive the tabs 42eextending from the brackets 42. The reflector 46 is thus suspended fromthe upper wall of the box 24 andis 3 retained at its base and held inspaced relation to the rear wall 29 of the box 24 by means of thebrackets 41.

Disposed vertically within the reflector are spaced heating elements 53.As may best be seen in FIG. 6, the heating elements are composed ofceramic, fluted cores S4 which are wrapped with suitable resistance wire56. The ends of the wire are threaded through suitable transverseapertures (not shown) in the cores 54 and are joined together bysolderless connectors 57 (FIG. 2). The wires extending from the lowerends of the heating elements 53 are joined to appropriately insulatedlead wires which extend through tubular insulating members 58 shown inFIG. 7. As FIG. 7 indicates, the insulators extend thro-ugh apertures inthe base wall 51 of the reflector and are held in place by U-shapedclamps 59.

The heating elements 53 are supported as indicated in FIG. 6. The basewall 51 of the reflector is provided with lanced apertures 61 whosebordering flange extends into the central bore 54a of the cores 54. Attheir upper ends the cores accommodate downwardly extending tabs 62struck from the inclined upper wall 48 of the reflector. These tabsserve to clamp the upper ends of the cores against the arcuate uppermargin 63a of the bosses 63 formed in the wall 48. The heating elementsare thus rigidly supported within the reflector by means of economicallyformed parts o-r portions of the top wall 48 and base wall 51 of thereflector.

It should be noted that, as indicated in FIG. 3, when the frame 10 is inplace on the box 24 the lower horizontal portion of flange bears againstthe surface of the reflector flange 52 to lock the reflector in place.The frame may be removed from the box by removing the mounting screwswhich interconnect surface 11 and tabs 34 and disconnecting theadjusting knob 19 from the thermostat. The frame may then be pivotedslightly so that the flange 22 of the frame may be withdrawn from thebracket 4'3. Removal of the frame from the box permits the reflector tobe pivoted outwardly about the brackets 42. It will be noted that theframe mounting by means of bracket 43 permits the frame to be movedinwardly toward the wall sufficiently to fit closely against the wall atthe frame top to compensate for any small variations in the installedposition of the box 24.

An important feature of the present invention is the extension of theinclined upper wall 27 of the box 24 inboard of the flange 22 of theframe and closely underlying the surface of flange 22, as shown in FIG.3. In prior art structures the frame is normally disposed in overlyingrelation to the outer edge of the wall box top wall. Where the frame hasan outwardly convex configuration, as is normally required for properaesthetic effect, this prior art arrangement of the frame provides aheat trap between the frame and the wall box at their upper marginsbecause of the convection air currents trapped in this area. In thestructure of the present invention, since the inclined top wall 27 ofthe box extends along the inner margin of the adjacent frame surface andbeyond the frame margin, no such trapping of convection air currentsoccurs and the slot 21 extending across the face of the frame permitsthe free exit of heating air from within the box. The consequentminimizing of the temperature rise of the frame provides advantageswhich include elimination of streaked walls. This feature is obtainedwithout the use of deflecting vanes or the like which tend to restrictthe movement of heated air.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, a multiple unit type of structure willbe described. The structure includes two or more assemblies identical tothat described above and arranged in side-by-side relation. Theassemblies are spaced from each other by means of a bracket 64 which maybe Welded or otherwise suitably secured to the side walls 26 of theadjacent wall boxes'. A tubular connector member 65 also extends betweenthe two assemblies and provides a conduit for wiring between the twounits.

As may best be seen in FIG. 9, the dimensions of the bracket 64 and theconnector 65 are such as to space the side walls 26 so that aconventional wall stud 66 may be accommodated therebetween. An integralframe 67 having multiple grille panels 68 fits over the wall insertboxes and is attached thereto in the same fashion as described withreference to the single unit construction.

This multiple unit arrangement permits installation of this larger typeof heater without any cutting of wall studs, and the unitary framemember causes the unit to retain the appearance of a single integralstructure.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail inthe drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modificationsmay readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and withinthe broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wall insert heater assembly comprising a wall box adapted formounting within a wall surface and having an open side, a top wall onsaid box having mounting bracket means projecting downwardly therefrom,a reflector pivotally and releasably supported on said bracket means foroperative positioning in said wall box, said reflector beingsubstantially smaller than said box to provide a space therebetween,heating elements supported on said reflector, means for maintaining aspaced relationship between said reflector and said box, a frame memberfor operatively enclosing the front of said space, means defining a slotin said frame member for venting said space, said top wall of said boxextending forwardly therefrom into the top of said slot to a positionforward of the wall surface for supporting said frame member on saidwall box and for preventing the air flowing from said space through saidslot from seeping between said top wall and said frame member, and meansfor securing said frame member to said wall box in engagement with saidreflector to lock said reflector to said box.

2. A wall insert heater assembly comprising a wall box adapted formounting within a wall surface and having an open side, a reflector ofsubstantially smaller size than said box supported in said box toprovide an annular space therebetween, heating elements supported onsaid reflector, means for maintaining a spaced relationship between saidreflector and said box, a frame member for operatively enclosing thefront of said space, means defining an opening in said frame member forventing said space, said top wall of said box extending forwardlytherefrom into said opening in said frame to a position for preventingthe air flowing from said space through said opening from seepingbetween said top wall and said frame member, and means for securing saidframe member to said wall box in engagement with said reflector to locksaid reflector to said box.

3. A wall insert heater assembly comprising a wall box adapted formounting within a wall surface and having an open side, a top wall insaid box having mounting bracket means projecting downwardly therefrom,a reflector pivotally and releasably supported on said bracket means foroperative positioning in said wall box, heating elements supported onsaid reflector, said reflector being substantially smaller than said boxto provide a space therebetween, means for maintaining a spacedrelationship between said reflector and said box, a frame member foroperatively enclosing the front of said space, means defining an openingin said frame member for venting the space between said reflector andsaid box, a flange on said frame member coextensive with and projectingrearwardly from the upper margin of said slot, said top wall of said boxsupporting said flange on said wall box and for preventing the airflowing from said space through said slot from being trapped betweensaid top wall and said frame member, and means for securing said framemember to said wall box in engagement with said reector to lock saidreflector to said box.

4. A wall insert assembly comprising a wall box adapted for mountingwithin a wall surface and having an open side, a top wall in said boxhaving mounting bracket means projecting downwardly therefrom, areliector pivotally and releasably supported on said bracket means foroperative positioning in said wall box, said reector being substantiallysmaller than said box to provide space therebetween, means formaintaining a spaced relationship between said reector and said box, aframe member for operatively enclosing the front of said space, meansdefining an opening in said frame member for venting said space, aiiange on said frame member coextensive with and extending rearwardlyfrom the upper margin of said opening to a position vertically above andin contact with said top wall for supporting said frame member on saidwall box and for preventing the air flowing from said space through saidslot from being trapped between said top wall and said frame member, andmeans for securing said frame member to said wall box in engagement withsaid reliector to lock said reflector to said box.

5. A multiple unit wall insert assembly adapted to be mounted in a wallhaving a conventional stud arrangement, comprising at least two wallboxes each having an open face and adapted for mounting in the wall onopposite sides of a stud, ange means on said boxes adapted to mount saidboxes on the wall, a top wall in each of said boxes each having mountingbracket means projecting downwardly therefrom, a reflector pivotally andreleasably supported on each of said bracket means for operativepositioning in the associated said wall box, said reector beingsubstantially smaller than said boxes to provide a space between eachthereof and the surrounding said reiiector, means for maintaining aspaced relationship between the associated reiiectors and wall boxes, anintegral frame member for operatively enclosing the front of saidspaces, means defining slots in said frame member coextensive with eachof said top walls for venting said spaces, said top walls of said boxesextending forwardly therefrom into the top of said slots to a positionfor supporting said frame member on said wall boxes and for preventingthe air flowing from said spaces through said slots from seeping betweensaid top walls and said frame member, spacing means extending betweenand interconnecting said boxes to maintain them in predetermined spacedrelation for accommodation of a stud between adjacent boxes and formaintaining said slots and said top walls in aligned relationship,

said ange means and said spacing means adapted to regulate the depth towhich said boxes extend into said wall, and means for securing saidframe member to said wall boxes in engagement with said reiiectors tolock said reflectors to said boxes.

6. A multiple unit wall insert assembly adapted to be mounted in a wallhaving a conventional stud arrangement, comprising at least two wallboxes each having an open face and adapted for mounting in the wall onopposite sides of a stud, flange means on said boxes adapted to mountsaid boxes on the wall, a top wall in each of said boxes each havingmounting bracket means projecting downwardly therefrom, a reiiectorpivotally and releasably supported on each of said bracket means foroperative positioning in the associated said wall box, said reiiectorsbeing substantially smaller than said boxes to provide a space betweeneach thereof and the surrounding said reflector, means for maintaining aspaced relationship between the associated reliectors and wall boxes, anintegral frame member for operatively enclosing the front of saidspaces, means delining slots in said frame member coextensive with eachof said top walls for venting said spaces, a ange on said framecoextensive with and extending rearwardly from the upper margin of saidslots to a position vertically above and in contact with the associatedtop wall for supporting said frame on said wall boxes and for preventingthe air owing from said spaces through said slots from being trappedbetween said top walls and said frame member, spacing meansinterconnecting said wall boxes to maintain them in predetermined spacedrelation for accommodation of a stud between adjacent wall boxes and formaintaining the associated slots and iianges in alignment, said flangemeans and said spacing means adapted to regulate the depth to which saidboxes extend into said wall, and means for securing said frame member tosaid wall boxes in engagement with said reflectors to lock saidreflectors to said boxes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,801,099 McCormick Apr. 14, 1931 1,839,986 Meldahl Jan- 5, 19321,926,537 Hoffman Sept. l2, 1933 2,552,837 Blazer May 15, 1951 2,655,587Steingruber Oct. 13, 1953 2,662,963 Wessel Dec. 15, 1953 2,720,580 KrautOct. l1, 1955

